The Killers thrilled 100,000 football fans as they took to the stage ahead of the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne on Saturday.
The American rock band belted out a medley of their popular tracks, including Mr Brightside, but blew away the crowd when they performed a surprise cover of Midnight Oil’s political anthem, Forgotten Years.
The track received rave reviews on Twitter with one fan writing: ‘The Killers covering Forgotten Years by Midnight Oil was absolutely bloody magnificent’.
Rave reviews: American rock band The Killers wowed the 100,000 strong crowd at Melbourne’s MCG on Saturday afternoon ahead of the AFL Grand Final
Praise: The Killers’ surprise cover was met with adulation by social media users
Another viewer gushed: ‘The Killers absolutely brilliant. Throw in a Midnight Oil song, superb. Know your audience’.
‘How good is @TheKillers cover of Midnight Oil. This is what pre grame entertainment should be like @AFL’ a third praised.
Indeed, the AFL received kudos from a number of football fans, with one happy viewer stating: ‘AFL absolute winners for bringing in the Killers… great Midnight Oil tribute’.
Rocking out: 36-year-old Brandon Flowers made sure to stand out in a powder blue suit jacket
What an audience! 100,000 footy fans watched from their seats as The Killers performed before kick-off
The track seemed to be a universal crowd pleaser, despite its political overtones. The song, originally released in 1990, is about the dispossession of Indigenous land.
Recently, the AFL came under fire for wading into the political arena, by changing the sign outside its Melbourne headquarters to ‘YES’ to show support for same-sex marriage.
Additionally, football code NRL has also courted controversy for mixing sport and politics, hitting headlines for the controversial choice to have rapper Macklemore sing his pro-gay anthem ‘Same Love’ at tomorrow’s grand final in Sydney.
Rock icon: Frontman Brandon Flowers channeled Elvis Presley with a 1950s style quiff and a powder blue suit jacket
‘Know your audience’: One user felt The Killers were a crowd pleaser
Praise: A Twitter user praised the AFL for deciding to feature The Killers
However, at the MCG Killers front man Brandon Flowers received endless praise, standing out on the stage in a powder blue suit jacket teamed with skinny black jeans and a black undershirt.
The 36-year-old channeled rock icons Elvis Presley and Chris Isaak by styling his hair into into a 1950s-style quiff.
A small crowd of revelers formed a mosh pit by the stage as many of the 100,000 strong sold-out crowd watched from their seats in the stands.
Sold-out crowd: A small group of revelers formed a mosh pit in front of the stage as many watched on from the stands
‘This is what pre-game entertainment should be like’: One fan was clearly left impressed with the AFL’s pre-game show
All the way from the USA: The American rockers took on Midnight Oil’s political track with great results